Coast and Geodetic Survey ships have charted the waterways of our Nation, were the first to systematically the Gulf Stream, were the first to discover the wonderful canyons and other features of the continental shelves and slopes, were the first to discover the salt domes and salt basins of our Gulf of Mexico, discovered hundreds of seamounts in the deep sea, and in the realm of geophysics helped discover the magnetic striping on the seafloor which was a key factor in formulating the theory of plate tectonics. Because of their efforts, the waterways, harbors, and approaches to our harbors are among the safest and best charted in the world. The small ships of the Coast and Geodetic Survey have made contributions to national security efforts both in peace and war. The most notable of these vessels have been the BIBB which served with the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron during the Civil War and the PATHFINDER which served with the Pacific Fleet during World War II. Of the latter ship it was said that "The road to Tokyo was paved with PATHFINDER charts." But, the major contribution of these small ships to our Nation has been through their relentless perseverance coupled with an unswerving devotion to accuracy and precision in the charting of our Nation's waterways. The unbroken coverage of the charts of our Nation's coastline are a testimony to this faithful devotion to duty.

Source: http://www.history.noaa.gov/